How do you say "Uilleann"?

Uilleann Pipes
1

I’m sure I’m not the first person to bring this up, but I’m extremely deficient in proper pronunciation of these type of words. I’m new to Irish/Celtic music styles, and I’m getting most of my information from reading, and sometimes I get these things wrong when I say them out among people. Can someone provide a phonetic pronunciation for this?

My first instinct is to go with “You willy on” but I’d be somewhat embarrassed if I were to say that among a group of real pipers and it weren’t correct.

While we’re at it, I just bought my first whistle, a Feadog. All I can say is, I can play it better than I can say it. Any help here?

Thanks to all.

Hugh

2

Uilleann - ‘ILL-uhn’

:slight_smile:

3

You-willy-on does have a ring to it.

4

ALIEN

5

I like “villain” myself…

6

You’ll never make a mill-un playin’ ‘em or makin’ 'em
PR

7

You gotta be uilleann man… that’s just sick you - know! No doubt, uh huh… that’s right… you be uilleann!

[ This Message was edited by: Patrick D’Arcy on 2002-10-01 19:23 ]

8

Uilleann rhymes with villain and Feadog is pronounced “FAD-ogue.”
Slainte! (pronounced SLAWN-tchuh)
Aaron

9

If all else fails say Irish pipes. I mispronounced tionol infront of my priest the other day, after about three tries I through up my hands and said “Okay - session!” That was understood. Any guesses on “Tionol”? Teeo-nuhl? Chion-al? etc. :stuck_out_tongue:
Marc

10

Yeah, what’s that one? Tee own o, Tea oh no, Tie one on…

[ This Message was edited by: elbogo on 2002-10-02 02:51 ]

11

I spell it tylenol. tional for short .

[ This Message was edited by: tok on 2002-10-02 04:40 ]

12

Variations to be found in the general public [as actually said to me or close piping friends]:

“wailin’ pipes” [very descriptive, I think]

“urine pipes” [honest to God!]

“woollen pipes” [a mellow tone?]

“william pipes” [uilleam=gaelic for billy]

“you Leanne pipes”

“you lean pipes”


…life was so much easier when they were just called the union pipes !! :laughing:

Boyd
http://www.strathspeyinmay.com

13

It is spelled Uilleann, but it is pronounced “Throat Warbler Mangrove.”

14

Tional I believe is pronounced ‘chunnel’ as in the tunnel under the Channel linking England and France. In Australia it’s just called Bruce, to avoid confusion.
Cheers,
Aaron

15

Boyd…don’t forget the other famous mis- pronunciation by jokesters who appartently don’t care for the instrument:

“onion” pipes, for union pipes.

In Macaronie, I believe these are all “pajamative” terms.

[ This Message was edited by: Lorenzo on 2002-10-02 17:02 ]

16

Why not listen to this weeks late session and the interview with Gay McKeon. He uses the word several times during the interview.

http://www.radio1.ie/evening/latesession/

All the best,

Patrick.

17

[ This Message was edited by: Patrick D’Arcy on 2002-10-02 18:16 ]

18

You guys crack me up!!!

19

There’s a dialect issue here, which means that even well-meaning enquirers can be bamboozled by equally well-meaning repliers.

CHUNNel is a reasonable approximation to the Ulster pronunciation, which tends to have short vowels and stress the first syllable of many words. In Munster Irish, “thinOLE” would be closer, while Connaught Irish would be soomewhere between the two.

Slán

R.

20

Thanks to all. I’d have never guessed ILL’un. I had a fillin’ I was wrong about “you willy on” but I wouldn’t have bet a mill’un on it.

Thanks again, I be chillin’ now.

Hugh